Autodesk's retirement program affects AutoCAD 2000i users and,
more recently, AutoCAD 2002 users. It also applies to users of
Autodesk Civil Design 3, Autodesk Land Desktop 3, Autodesk Survey 3,
and Autodesk Map 5 and 6. Bentley surveyed users of AutoCAD and other
Autodesk products and found that 87 percent of the respondents want an
end to forced software retirements, and 90 percent of the civil
engineer respondents are seeking a site solution that is complete.

"In our surveys of Autodesk users," says Tony Flynn, Bentley chief
marketing officer, "the vote was to end retirements or forced upgrades
of software because these practices disrupt workflows. Also, civil
engineers, in particular, asked for a complete site solution.

"We listened to these users and put together a 'You Deserve
Better' upgrade program for civil engineering firms that gives users
exactly what they asked for, plus a great deal more.

"We understand that site engineering and land development software
is mission critical to these service firms - its use directly affects
their top lines and bottom lines. So we are offering a single,
complete solution that offers unparalleled productivity and minimum
administration costs. Moreover, our special services and pricing make
the transition to Bentley software easy and less costly than the
Autodesk alternative."

Three Products Aren't Better Than One

The survey results made it clear that Autodesk's three-product
bundle for civil engineering projects is not what these users need to
successfully complete projects. Having to rely upon some combination
of Land Desktop, Civil Design, and Civil 3D to handle the various
phases of civil projects, rather than being able to use a single,
complete solution from field to finish:

-- Forces inefficient, cross-product workflows

-- Makes users learn up to three different user interfaces

-- Increases the likelihood of data loss because of recurrent
data translations

-- Increases software administration costs by requiring users to
manage and maintain as many as three separate products

All these problems have a direct, negative impact on the cost of
doing business and, thus, profitability. Given that many civil
engineering firms are small businesses, few can afford the decreased
productivity and tripled overhead that result from having to work with
three software products to complete projects.

Expanding "You Deserve Better"

The newly expanded "You Deserve Better" upgrade program, in
response to Bentley's surveys, gives these users what they requested
and a lot more. It includes:

-- A complete product that covers all phases of civil site
projects and exceeds the combined functionality of Autodesk's
site design products

-- Streamlined workflows, a single user interface, and a unified
data base that ensures data integrity - all because it is a
complete product

-- Functionality based on world-class technology adopted by 44
U.S. state departments of transportation (DOTs)

-- An open, universal solution compared to the Autodesk
offerings, including native support of DGN and DWG and
read/write support of DWG back to R11

-- An ongoing company policy against retiring file formats or
user licenses, in contrast to the regular retirement practices
of Autodesk

-- Special services and compatible functionality designed to make
the upgrade fast and easy

The program features Bentley's complete site engineering and land
development solution, Bentley PowerCivil, which provides site design
capabilities for all project phases, and offers civil engineers a
flexible 2D/3D environment that features full object modeling, COGO,
surveying interface tools, dynamic DTM grading tool, full drainage
tools for ponds and pipes, machine interface, and more. It natively
reads and writes DGN and DWG, and is based on the top technology of
Bentley's GEOPAK, InRoads, and MX product lines - technology adopted
by 44 U.S. state DOTs and the world's top engineering firms.

Bonus features, not found in Autodesk products, include support of
both DGN and DWG, creation of Adobe PDFs for all project deliverables,
free viewers for DGN and DWG, change management, customization for
drafting, and more. In addition, Bentley supports not only legacy file
formats of Bentley products, but also DWG file formats of current and
retired Autodesk products, ensuring an open and interoperable work
environment.

Making the Upgrade Fast and Easy

The newly expanded "You Deserve Better" program will focus on
giving civil engineers the best tools in civil engineering, while
facilitating a smooth, cost-effective transition from their Autodesk
products. To ensure that the transition to PowerCivil is fast and
easy, the expanded "You Deserve Better" program will feature a series
of online seminars, special classroom and online training, as well as
direct support from Bentley.

Transition Pricing Saves

Beyond the functionality, openness, and policy advantages, the
program offers special pricing designed to beat Autodesk pricing. It
enables Autodesk-based organizations to upgrade to Bentley PowerCivil
for $2995, which includes the software, transition training, and two
years of Bentley SELECT. Bentley SELECT is a comprehensive technology
and service subscription program that includes flexible subscription
options, exclusive licensing privileges, continuous product upgrades,
comprehensive direct technical support, discounts on training and
software, and more.

For full details on the expanded "You Deserve Better" program, and
to find and price your upgrade, get more details, talk to an expert,
or download Bentley's free DGN/DWG viewer, go to
www.bentley.com/YouDeserveBetterCivil.

To test-drive PowerCivil, be sure to attend the "You Deserve
Better - Life Beyond AutoCAD" seminar at the Baltimore Convention
Center, May 10, 2005, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The afternoon will be
dedicated to all civil engineers in land development and site
engineering using AutoCAD, Land Desktop, Civil 3D, or other Autodesk
civil tools. Included will be a first-hand look at the latest top
technology in the civil engineering field, presentations from
developers and users, a workshop showing how PowerCivil can be used to
improve design cycles, and more.

The seminar is adjacent to the upcoming BE Conference 2005
(
www.be.org), which is being held May 8-12, 2005. The BE Conference is
a once-a-year learning opportunity for Bentley users and their
managers offering professional training, technology updates, keynotes,
and best practice sharing. At these sessions, attendees better
themselves, better their organizations, and better the ways they can
improve the world's infrastructure.

Bentley conducted a general survey of more than 2,500 AutoCAD
users, and 87 percent of the respondents agreed or strongly agreed
with the statement: "I want my software vendor not to disrupt my
project workflow by forcing me to upgrade or retire my software."

A follow-up survey of Autodesk users in the civil engineering
industry elicited responses from more than 1900 North American users
of Autodesk products, including Land Desktop, AutoCAD, and Civil 3D.
Users were asked their level of agreement with various statements, and
highlights of their responses follow:

-- 89 percent agreed or strongly agreed that they want one
complete site solution.

-- 93 percent agreed or strongly agreed that they want an open
solution that allows them to work with all CAD file formats
and versions regardless of their clients' CAD or civil
applications.